South Carolina Student Arrested After Being Found With a Weapon After Making Threats

A student was caught with weapons in his backpack after a student overheard him making a threat to shoot up the school.

By Sherelle Black

September 11, 2019

A 15-year-old who threatened to “shoot up the school” was found with two knives in his backpack and arrested Tuesday.

In a statement, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department in South Carolina said a student heard the 15-year-old make the threat and reported it to school staff, who then informed the school resource officer.

The male student admitted to making the threat, but said it was just a joke.

“It’s never a joke to us,” Sheriff Leon Lott said in the news release.

In a letter sent to parents, Westwood High Principal Dr. Cheryl Guy said there is no danger to the school.

“We are proud of our student for sharing the safety tip with us and appreciate all that our employees, students and parents do to help keep our school a safe place for learning,” Guy said in the letter. “Remember, our schools are staffed with lots of caring adults, including our school counselors, who are available to help work through issues in a productive way. If you have any questions or concerns about school safety, please contact a school administrator.”

Because of his age, the student’s identity is not being made public. He will have to appear in family court on charges of carrying a weapon on school property and student threats.

The News & Observer reported this is the sixth threat made at a school in the Midlands region in a month.

All of the threats occurred at different schools across the region.

The threats ranged from shooting up a school to a student saying he had a bomb in his backpack, according to The News & Observer.